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Terra2 is Back at Double Helix

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Announcing new glass by Double Helix is always exciting but t announce the reappearance of Terra2 is even more exciting. I have to say that I never got a chance to play with Terra2. It was gone by the time I got seriously hooked on Double Helix glass but the beads I’ve seen made with it are to die for.

The colors that come out of it are magical. It’s like Raku or Chalcedony but more. I hope I can get some in Las Vegas at Glass Craft and Bead Expo, whenre I’ll be selling beads next week. But if no one has it I’ll be ordering at least a pound. Super good bead making times ahead that’s for sure! Also check out their new murrini slices for sale. They look like some fun to play with too.

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Designer Spotlight: Bella Rose Craft

The designs from Bella Rose Craft look like they would be good for beginner cross stitchers and others who like relatively simple and small designs that are quick to finish for gifts or decor.

I’ll mention up front that this Etsy shop based in Indiana has no organization whatsoever. There are two categories: kits and patterns. So it’s a bit of a treasure hunt to find what you might be interested in.

As mentioned there are lots of minis and small looking projects with simple lines and minimal colors. There are holiday projects, animals, summer motifs like palm trees and beach umbrellas, a bathtub with a rubber duck, some text based designs (like hoppy spring and merry and bright), some biblical and religious designs, flowers, bunting and more.

On a site like this its difficult to pick something representative of the whole page, but I liked this bees and beehive design, so it’s the one I picked to share. This one illustrates a lot of my general points about the patterns from this shop. It’s small (2.79 by 2.57 inches, or about 7 by 6.5 cm on 14 count fabric), it looks like it’s all whole cross stitches and probably uses only six colors, and a couple of colors are only used for a handful of stitches.

Of the 300 plus cross stitch patterns available as of this writing, 140 are also available as cross stitch kits. These would be great to give as gifts if you’re trying to get someone interested in cross stitching. The kits include the pattern, fabric and floss, and you can choose to have it include a needle or not. The hoop is not included but the patterns explain what kind of hoop is shown if you want to get one to match.

So if you’re looking for cute, beginner friendly patterns for yourself or you’re trying to be a crafty enabler for someone else, check out Bella Rose Craft on Etsy.

[Photo: Bella Rose Craft]